The Shower Fixation
by Raine Cooper
Summary: Sheldon and Penny learn to explore the use of a good shower. Leonard/Penny beginning, Sheldon/Penny towards the end. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

The Shower Fixation.

Sheldon Cooper undressed quietly. He had already laid out his clothes for the day, and they were sitting neatly on the side of the sink, His flash shirt resting nicely on top. He folded his Sunday pajamas neatly beside them, and then hung up the matching robe on the door. He passed the mirror quickly. Sheldon was never the type to watch himself in the mirror, and he never understood why a man would. Appearances shouldn't mean much to a man, when other things need to be done. But, then again, he wasn't planning on going to a club anytime in his near future, like the rest of his friends. He didn't have to do much in the shower, and no sooner had he started, he was finished. He didn't linger long, slipping a brown, long sleeve sweater over his somewhat damp torso. He stopped suddenly, and listened near the door. Even with his so called "Vulcan hearing", he could hear nothing coming from his living room. He had excused himself from the living room not ten minutes ago when Penny and Leonard had begun fighting again. It had become a regular thing now, and Sheldon was running out of excuses to leave the room they were in. Leonard had forbidden him to touching any of the blenders to drown them out. He listened again.

Nothing.

Coming to the conclusion they had solved their issue, he opened the bathroom door, pajamas under the crook of his arm. He was about to grab his robe, when he looked to his couch. His spot.

Penny.

She was sitting there; her back plastered against the pillow he kept there, her knees to her chest. She was crying, softly. Sheldon looked down quickly, panicking. Once again, he wasn't sure what to do in this social situation. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again. He left his robe on the door, moving slowly towards his bedroom. Maybe she wouldn't hear him.

"Sheldon?" A small voice squeaked. He knew that voice. It only came around when she was really, really upset. Sheldon sighed and moved towards the living room.

"Yes, Penny?" He stood at the door frame again, looking at her puffy, red eyes. She sniffed.

"Come sit next to me." She whispered, moving her head slightly. He paused, but nodded. He almost stopped when he realized she was in his spot, but before he even reached the couch, she was moving.

_"My god, those chocolates are working_" he thought to himself, but he didn't pick up the wooden box. As soon as he sat down, her head rested on his shoulder. He tensed. "Penny," he frowned, quickly looking around the apartment, "where's Leonard?"

She sniffed again. "He left, to Raj's, I think." She had started crying again, and Sheldon was once again left confused. "He just blew up at me, saying I don't really care about him." She sobbed, but managed to look up into Sheldon's eyes. They stopped her, for just a moment, but she continued. "I do care about him, Sheldon, I really do. I don't understand. I don't think I did anything to hurt him. Why doesn't he understand that I care."?

"Because he's starting to take you for granted." His eyebrows shot up. _"Where did that come from?"_ He wondered, but he kept going. "He doesn't realize that he has very beautiful, very smart, and very gifted women in his life. Leonard always needs someone to chase after, and now that it is no longer you, He doesn't understand what to do. You are no longer putting yourself so far out there to obtain him, therefore, he thinks you no longer care." They were different ideas, all pouring out of his mouth. He forced it closed, not daring to say another word.

Penny lifted her head again, a confused look on her face. "Sheldon that was probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me." He nodded.

"Probably. But that isn't what we're talking about, Penny. I would really hardly worry about Leonard. This time tomorrow, he'll be at your apartment door, begging for mercy, like he always does. But Penny, you should know, you deserve much better then what Leonard gives you." He lifted his right hand and patted Penny's knee. Surprising both of them, he left it there. Also, he had opened his mouth again. Damn it.

Penny paused, staring further into his eyes. Sheldon stared back, his eyes still twitching at the closeness of her. "Thank you." she whispered quietly, not daring to move her eyes. He just nodded again. He opened his mouth to say something, but penny had moved her hands to neck, she was using her index finger to stroke lightly. The words vanished from his mouth, but he didn't move. Penny took this to her advantage, and quickly pressed her mouth against his. Shocked, his eyes widened, but he found himself soon resisting keeping them open. He didn't resist long. His mouth opened slightly, and Penny was slightly surprised.

_I'm kissing Sheldon cooper_. She thought, _and Sheldon cooper is kissing me back._

It took her exactly four seconds to realize what that meant. She pulled away quickly, and stared at him. Both were wide eyed.  
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, she was already moving towards the door. "I always wanted to know what that felt like. I'm sorry." She remembered just a month and a half ago, when Beverly came to stay. He had been different for a week, after that drunken kiss, and she hadn't liked it at all. How would this affect him? "I'm sorry, I should be going, I'm sorry. Thanks for sitting with me. If Leonard comes..." she paused, "tell him I went out. Bye."

And then the door shut behind her.

Sheldon didn't move, staring at the closed door. It took him exactly ten seconds after the door shut before he quickly jumped up, walking quickly to the bathroom to take another shower.

This time, a cold one.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days went undisturbed. The five of them, Raj, Howard, Leonard, Sheldon, and Penny, still met every night. No one seemed to notice, but Sheldon and Penny internally avoid each other. She made sure to sit across from him, rather then her usual spot beside him on the couch.

And, as much as she hated to admit it, he had been right. Leonard had come the next morning, knocking on her apartment door. And she had forgiven him, like Sheldon knew she would.

And it killed her.

And Sheldon didn't want to admit it, but that small kiss had awoken something in him. During their dinners, he couldn't help but stare at her. He never really noticed, but she had the most beautiful green eyes. And, when she walked by him, he noticed she smelt a great deal like vanilla and sugar, just like he thought she would. She kept him entranced, something which was new to the brilliant mind of Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PhD. He promised himself he would Google the appropriate behaviour later this evening, perhaps when Leonard was sleeping. Sheldon wanted so bad to put down his food, walk calmly over to Penny's chair, and kiss her softly on the lips. Then, he would take her in his arms, and they would escape quickly to her apartmen-

"Sheldon? You alright?"

Leonard's voice awoke Sheldon from his dreamlike state. The three boys were staring at Sheldon, a confused look on his face. Penny kept her eyes on her food.

"I'm fine, Leonard. Just...tired." He managed to briefly smile at his friends before continuing his food. He prayed Leonard would leave it at that and a new topic would emerge.

But Leonard wouldn't have it.

"Sheldon, you always get a perfect's night sleep. You're never tired unless you're up working. Don't lie." He was smirking now, putting down his food to wrap his arm around Penny, who twitched uncomfortably. Sheldon felt something snap in him.

"For you information Leonard, I happen to be losing sleep. I'm lucky if I get one hour in. With the addition to work, I seemed to be very stressed. I certainly do NOT need you hounding down my back, saying I'm lying when I'm telling the perfect truth." He hissed, reeling with anger. Leonard quickly nodded and kept his eyes on his lap. Sheldon took a deep breath. "Penny, a word in the hall, please?"

She nodded quickly, eager to escape Leonard's tight grasp on her shoulder. She opened the door for both of them, and they slipped outside into the hallway. They quickly heard Howard's voice before the door slipped shut.

"What the frack was that?"

"Sheldon-" penny began, but Sheldon swiftly cut her off.

"No, Penny, you listen to me. What I told Leonard is very much true. I have been losing sleep for days because of you, and I don't understand why. I haven't been able to stop staring at you, thinking about you since we...kissed." He paused. "I have researched it thoroughly and..."Another pause. "I think I may have devolved feelings for you, Penny."

There was an awkward silence. Penny stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry if I have said the wrong thing Penny, I-"

This time, she cut him off. With her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him softly. She was standing on her tip toes, using his shoulders for balance.

They didn't realize how good it felt, until now.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Hope you guys are liking everything so far.

And so it began. A few months went by, again, undisturbed. Around others, they were two separate people. Penny was usually with Leonard, usually lying through her teeth about any emotion she felt. When she was with Leonard, she never felt safe. He was always very jumpy, and he jumped to conclusions. They still fought a lot, but it didn't bother penny as much anymore. She knew that later, Sheldon would be in her bed, where he always belonged.

And that's exactly what it was. Behind closed doors, they were one. They fit together perfectly, like they both knew they would. The stairwell, the laundry room, wherever they could find time, they would spend it together. Somehow, Sheldon didn't have a problem lying to Leonard about him and Penny. He knew if he told the truth, he would lose both Leonard and the girl he was starting to fall in love with. He knew he couldn't risk it.

They always seemed to be aware of each other. If Sheldon lifted his arm, Penny would cross her legs. They were in sync, and only they noticed. Leonard was blissfully unaware. Still in a childlike state, he was brimming with happiness. In his world, Penny was only his, and to him, forever. And Sheldon just watched, dying to reach out and say…

"There, there. Sheldon's here."

Leonard looked up from his computer. "What?"

Sheldon's eyes winded, realizing he had voiced his thoughts. Sheldon forced a slim smile. "Oh, nothing Leonard, just practicing my caring voice." Yeah, that would suffice.

Leonard squinted, but then just shook his head. Just typical Sheldon. Typical, weird Sheldon. Sheldon breathed a sight of relief, and continued organizing papers on the coffee table.

"Sheldon? Sweetie, I need your help."

Sheldon looked up from the papers, another smile plastered onto his face. Penny stood in the door frame, holding her laptop in her hand, wearing a tank top and her hello kitty shorts. Sheldon's eye brows raised involuntarily.

"Of course, Penny. What do you need?" Sheldon grinned as he took a step beside her, to see what she was doing on her computer.

"It's these stupid goblins. They're really pissing me off. There's way to many of them." She growled, clicking away at her computer, which Sheldon took swiftly from her hands. He clicked and typed away for a few seconds, and then handed the computer back to her. She frowned at the computer, and then back at Sheldon. She mumbled something about stupid genius, and then kissed him, right on the lips. They both froze, realizing her mistake. It had just come natural for Penny, and she slowly turned towards Leonard, who was still typing away on his computer, lost in the world of science. Penny's breath was heavy, and she quickly pushed Sheldon back into the hallway. She was on the verge of tears.

"Sheldon, I can't do this anymore." She put her hands on his chest as she talked in a fast whisper. "I know he loves me, but I love you and we can't avoid being together in public anymore." She took a breath. "We have to tell him. I know it'll hurt him but I can't lie." She put her hands around his neck. "I only want you."

Sheldon stared into her green eyes, and nodded, slowly removing her hands from his neck. He walked past her and back into his apartment.

"Leonard? There's something Penny and I need to tell you."

In the back of his mind, Sheldon was excited about getting into the shower. He was excited about wiping away the dirt, the lies from the past months. He wanted to be clean again.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone. Thanks so much for the reviews, BUT KEEP THEM COMING. I don't plan on making this the longest thing ever, so maybe expect three more chapters at the most.

Leonard looked up from his laptop, his eye brows knitted together. "You AND Penny?" He turned in his chair. "Yeah, sure, go ahead."

Penny took a step inside the apartment so she was side by side with Sheldon's lanky figure. She took his sweaty palm into hers. Leonard's eyes widened slightly, and he opened his mouth to speak. Penny cut him off.

"Leonard, Sheldon and I have been secretly seeing each other for the past couple of months." She said it quickly enough, because she knew beating around the bush wouldn't help anyone.

The room was silent for a few moments. Sheldon started speaking again.

"For two months, actually." Penny nodded

"We didn't want to tell you, Leonard, because we knew how much it would hurt you. We both didn't really know how much it would affect us." She glanced at Sheldon, and then back at Leonard. "But it has, so we knew we had to tell you." She paused, "I love him, Leonard. We love each other." Another pause. "I'm so sorry."

Leonard was silent for a few more moments, and then,

"How did it start?"

He was so silent, Penny could hardly hear him. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sheldon beat her to it.

"It was January 12th, 7:14 pm. You and Penny had just had a fight, and I was comforting her. And we kissed. Then, on the 14th, after my outburst at dinner, we did again. After that, well…" he trailed off.

Leonard took his eyes off of his lap. They were cold as ice.

"Get out."

Sheldon paused. "Excuse me?"

Leonard quickly stood from his chair and silently spoke again.

"Get out of my apartment. And don't ever come back, you two faced bastard."

"Leonard, please, don't do this. It's my fault, don't kick Sheldon out." Penny begged, reaching out for Leonard's arm. He took a step back.

"Get out, before I lose my temper. Your lucky I'm not yelling now." Tears were starting to form at his eyes.

"Leonard.."

"GET OUT!"

Sheldon paused again, and quickly fled the room. Penny took a few staggering steps back so she was out in the hallway.

The door slammed in her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Penny felt her legs give away once the breeze from the door hit her face. She fell to the floor, head in her hands. Tears ran down her face as memories of the past three years flooded her. She, all by her self, had ruined the closest friendship (other then Raj and Howard's) she had ever seen. To her, it was all her fault.

"Penny?"

A small voice came from behind her, and her head whipped around, her whole body falling to the floor. Sheldon sat on the floor, his knees to his chest, outside Penny's apartment. His eyes looked hollow, his chest breathing heavily. Penny forced herself off the ground, and walked to Sheldon.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. Oh, god I'm so, so sorry." Sheldon stood suddenly, and wrapped his long arms around her small torso.

"No. Leonard is the one who should be sorry. Now, i'm definitely not going to share a noble prize with him."

Shocked, Penny looked up. Sheldon was slightly smiling, looking down at her. Penny managed a nervous laugh.

"Too bad for Leonard."

Sheldon laughed, and bent down to kiss her softly.

'Let him mope. It's natural." He grabbed her shoulders so she would face him head on. "I love you, Penny. Leonard was my best friend for a long time. Now you are. And that does scare me, but I know it's the social protocol." He kissed her again, and she nodded. He frowned. "Now, where am I going to sleep?" Suddenly, a bemused smile hit his lips. "Oh, wait." He looked down at Penny again, and she smiled as she dragged him into the apartment.

----

Raj and Howard, of course, heard the next day. Both were shocked, of course, along with the rest of CalTech, once Sheldon had brought Penny into work one afternoon. He had glared at Kripkie when he decided to hit on Penny. He smiled proudly when Dr. Galbelhouser noted how nice of a woman she was. And she had enjoyed it too. Leonard had never brought her into work, scared that once she really saw what he did, she would run for the hills. And, the opposite happened. She didn't understand much, or any of it at all, (because, in all honesty, Sheldon wasn't very good at "dumbing things down"), but she loved every minute. It all still felt odd to her, the fact she was Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PhD's girlfriend. Wait, FIRST girlfriend.

She worked a shift later that night, and she started talking to some of the co workers about Sheldon. Of course, they all knew who he was. He came in every Tuesday, causing chaos on the whole restaurant.

"I don't know, Penny. He's absolutely nuts. But he's one of the smartest people I've ever met. I can't believe he figured out that physics thing while working here a couple months back. Genius." Her boss, mark piped up from behind a computer where he was putting in an order. "He seems like a really good guy for you. He's lucky to have you."

She beamed behind her notepad, which she was subconsciously doodling on. She noticed the boys, minus Sheldon, walking thought the front of the restaurant. Leonard leading the way.

Yeah, this was going to be a long night.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks SO much for the reviews everyone! Keep them coming! Hope everyone's enjoying everything. I am. Maybe expect…two more chapters. Maybe.

---

Penny took a very deep breath and started walking towards the boys. She saw Leonard pause, and point to a different section of the restaurant, rather then their regular seats. Raj and Howard shared a look, but nodded as they switched seats. Fuming, Penny walked over to her coworker, Angie, who was the waitress for that section.

"Please, let me take that table." Penny whispered quickly, grabbing Angie's shoulder.

"What?"

"I know them, and haven't spoken to them for a while, and I need to sort things out." She saw Angie pause. "I'll let you take the tip. Please?"

Angie smiled, and gestured with her hand for Penny to continue. Penny said her thanks and quickly walked to the table.

"Boys." She greeted them with a warm smile, which was responded by uneasy looks from Raj and Howard, and an ice glare from Leonard.

"Penny, you don't work at this section. You work in that section" Leonard pointed with his finger, which penny grabbed and set back down on the table.

"Well, tonight I'm going to be your server." Her smile was strained now.

Leonard snuffed. "Well, what if I don't want you to be my server?"

"Okay that's it." Penny grabbed Leonard's arm and dragged him out of the booth. She led him to a corner of the restaurant. "I have had it up to here with your immaturity!" Her hand was above her head now, and she brought it down into a clenched fist. "I want to try, so hard, to be your friend again, Leonard. Sheldon does too. We miss you guys, and our relationship shouldn't ruin that chance."

Leonard was quiet for a moment, before he raised his head. "I still love you, you know that? Every moment, I'm still thinking about you. You're just another thing he's taken away from me." A pause, "No, he always had you. You were always his. Just like he's always had the chance to win a nobel prize, not me. He always got praise at work, not me." Another pause, "and now you. Now he has you." He refused to show weakness, but tears started to form against his eyes. Penny's eyes reached the floor, then back up to Leonard.

"Leonard..." She reached for his hand, which snapped behind him.

"No. As long as you're around, I can't be friends with Sheldon. I can't look him in the eyes. As long as I love you…" He trailed off. He rocked on his heels for a little, before turning sharply around, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He ran out of the restaurant, Raj and Howard following sharply behind.

Penny was speechless. Her head fell into her hands.

She spent the rest of the day floating. The dirt on her rubbing deep into her skin.

---

She entered her apartment that night, ready to talk to Sheldon about work. She found him in the corner, his knees to his chin, crying. Sheldon Cooper was crying.

She ran to his aid, placing her arm around him.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" He sniffed

"It's Leonard. I heard him come home, and I tried to talk to him." He paused. "And he punched me in the face." He revealed his eye, which was black and swollen. Penny gasped. "He said as long as he loved you, he could never be friends with me again. As long as you were here." He looked up into her eyes. "I miss him penny. Lord, I miss him. All of them." He sobbed again.

Penny started crying too, feeling covered in grime and dirt.

She left him on the phone with his mother, and she hopped into the shower.

That's when she realized what she had to do.


	7. Chapter 7

And so it ends. Thanks for the great reviews guys! I may be writing another big bang theory soon, so keep your eyes open.

---

Penny went to work right away. She quit her job at the cheesecake factory, and spent the next five days with Sheldon non stop. Of course, he questioned about her time off, and she simply told him that she was given a small holiday for working so hard. A lie, of course, as she had barley worked at all the past weeks. She begged him to take some time off too, which he did. They did everything together for the next few days. They made a day trip to Disneyland, went to the San Diego zoo, and did many tours around LA. Sheldon loved every minute, but something in the back of his mind knew something was off. He ignored it, of course, he didn't want anything to ruin this wonderful time with the girl he loved.

All of this, of course, tormented Penny. She tried so hard to enjoy every moment with Sheldon, but she found herself plastering on a fake smile every time. Every part of her screamed the truth at her, and she knew her mental health couldn't take much more of this lying.

Finally, the day she had dreaded for the past two weeks came. It was three in the morning, and Sheldon was sound asleep on her bed, in his normal Dracula position.

In the kitchen, Penny was quickly writing a note.

_Sheldon,_

_I am so sorry this had to happen. I didn't know what else to do. It torments me every time you look at Leonard's door. With me gone, you two will figure it out. You'll become friends again. You'll survive without me. _

_You'll fall in love Sheldon, have kids. And they will love you, as well as your wife. Hold on to her Sheldon, and never let her go. _

_Don't try to follow me, I'm not going home. I'm going somewhere far away, where you won't be tempted to come after me. _

_Don't worry about the apartment; I've set something up with the landlord. Once you and Leonard become friends again, he'll sell the apartment. I'll be paying for it until then. _

_I'll always love you, Sheldon. Always._

_P_

Her hand was shaking, and she couldn't even finish writing her name. Tears were pouring down her cheeks, her dark eyes become increasingly darker.

She walked back to her bedroom soundlessly, and stared at Sheldon.

She kissed him lightly on the head before heading out the door, not looking back.

--

Sheldon woke around six, and sat up, rubbing his eye vigorously. He smiled, turning to look at penny's sleeping face.

He was surprised to find her side of the bed empty.

He rose quickly, that part of his brain screaming at him, and he found himself listening to it.

_Look for a note_, it told him, _she probably left you a note. _

He found it, lying on the coffee table. Smiling to himself, he grabbed it.

His smile quickly faded.

He reached for the couch, struggling to find support behind him.

He read it twice. Three times.

She was gone.

He tore through her clothes, looking for anything out of place. And, sure enough, just enough clothing for a small bag was gone.

He stood there, his fingers now white from his strong grip on her dresser. His mind searched for where she could be, and ticket pricing flashed through his head.

She could be anywhere.

He glanced out of the room, towards the apartment door. He didn't know what else to do.

He knew Leonard would be up by now, working, maybe.

He knocked only twice on the door. Two sharp knocks.

The door opened after a few moments. He found Leonard, in his underwear and socks, pushing up his glasses.

There was a silence.

"What do you want, Sheldon?" Leonard mumbled. He was obviously still tired. Tears formed at Sheldon's eyes.

"She's gone Leonard. I don't know what to do."

Leonard frowned, and looked at Sheldon's hands. He took the note from him, and read it over. Twice.

"Oh my god." Leonard glanced up at Sheldon's tall figure. "Where the hell do you think she would of went?" He beckoned Sheldon into the room. Leonard was already on the move to get dressed, and Sheldon followed suit. They listed many places writing feverishly on the white board. They had maybe 40 cities listed. Finally, leonard's quiet voice broke the silence.

"I'm sorry I punched you."

He was staring at the ground, and Sheldon looked at him, surprised.

"It's okay." He breathed. Sheldon paused, and then made his decision. He crossed the room, and embraced Leonard in a hug. Leonard, a little shocked, returned the hug. It was unsurprisingly awkward.

A pause.

"You can move back in, if you want."

Another pause. Both men move away from each other. Sheldon sighs.

"What are we doing, Leonard? She didn't want to be followed. If we do find her, it will always be a constant battle between us. A constant chase. We'll both always love her. Always." Tears poured down both men's eyes. "She's gone."

--

And Sheldon was right, she was gone. She'll move to New York, to try her acting career there. She won't have much luck, but she's happy to hear of Sheldon and Leonard's friendship. She'll eventually move back to Nebraska, forgetting her dream about her acting. She'll become a teacher, a high school drama teacher. It fits for her. And she'll meet a guy, Mark, the school's science teacher. She knows the reason she's attracted to him, and she searches for other reasons. She'll eventually find them, and they'll fall in love. Marriage comes quickly enough.

The boys are not invited, but it's not like the thought hadn't crossed her mind.

Kids come soon after that. Two girls.

Mary and Beverly.

--

And, like Penny says, Sheldon will meet someone. A spunky waitress, Lucy, that he meets researching for a paper. He knows why he's attracted to her, and he searches for other reasons. He'll eventually find them, and they'll fall in love. Marriage takes a little longer, but Leonard tells Lucy to give him time. And, after some time, a beautiful wedding.

She's not invited, but the thought had crossed Sheldon's mind.

A kid comes quicker.

Penelope. Middle name: Queen.

--

And, of course, Leonard will marry. Leslie, as it turns out. They have twins, a boy and a girl.

Sheldon and Leonard will remain great friends, best men at their weddings, best friends for life.

And, finally, eight years later, Penny, Mark and the kids move back to Pasadena.

And Penny's phone will ring.

And she'll get an invite to the nobel prize banquet. Sheldon and Leonard's.

And she'll accept.

And she'll smile, knowing that dirt, that grime that has stayed on her for the past eight years, can be washed off the next shower she has.

THE END


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